Hiring manager kickoff checklist

Use on the first call for any new role. It takes about 30 minutes.

The role

• Job title and level, and what the level means at your studio

• Why the role is open: new project, backfill, growth

• What this person must deliver in the first 90 days

• Who they report to and who they work with every day

• Team size today

Must-haves and nice-to-haves

• Up to 5 must-haves. Each one is something you would reject a candidate for

• Nice-to-haves listed separately

• Engine, tools and platform (for example Unity, Unreal, Godot, mobile, PC)

• Genre experience: required or helpful?

• Is adjacent experience acceptable? Write down which kinds

Pay and terms

• Budget range: fixed and variable

• Flexibility for an exceptional candidate, and how much

• Benefits: health cover amount, who it covers, leave, learning budget, ESOPs

• Full time or contract? If contract: length, renewal, conversion, equipment

• Location: on site, hybrid (how many days) or remote

• Relocation support

• Longest notice period you will accept, and whether you will buy out

Process

• Number of rounds and who runs each

• Assignment or test: what, how long, how it is judged

• Interview questions agreed for a structured first round

• CV feedback turnaround (we suggest 3 working days)

• Final round to offer: target days

• Who signs off the offer

Telling candidates about the role

• What makes this role worth leaving a stable job for

• What the person will own

• What the studio has shipped or is building

• Anything candidates will worry about (funding, contract, new team), and the honest answer

• What we may say about the company before its name is shared

Why this matters: in 2026 we saw searches slow down when budgets moved midway, when must-haves were unclear, and when CVs waited weeks for feedback.